In line with the 2014 National Curriculum for Computing, our aim is to provide a high-quality computing education that equips children to use computational thinking and creativity to understand and change the world. The curriculum will teach children key knowledge about how computers and computer systems work, and how they are designed and programmed. Learners will have the opportunity to gain an understanding of computational systems of all kinds, whether they include computers.

By the time they leave St George’s, children will have gained key knowledge and skills in the three main areas of the computing curriculum: computer science (programming and understanding how digital systems work), information technology (using computer systems to store, retrieve and send information) and digital literacy (evaluating digital content and using technology safely and respectfully). The objectives within each strand support the development of learning across the key stages, ensuring a solid grounding for future learning and beyond.

At St George’s Church of England Primary School, computing is taught using our own devised scheme that we feel is current and follows all the National Curriculum and more. All year groups follow a term-by-term topic which is set out in year groups and is on our curriculum map for computing.

They are also, where possible, linked to engaging contexts in other subjects and topics. We have a computing suite and a class set of ipads to ensure that all year groups can use a range of devices and program for many purposes across the wider curriculum, as well as in discrete computing lessons. Employing cross-curricular links motivates pupils and supports them to make connections and remember the steps they have been taught.

The implementation of the curriculum also ensures a balanced coverage of computer science, information technology, and digital literacy. The children will have experiences of all three strands in each year group, but the subject knowledge imparted becomes increasingly specific and in-depth, with more complex skills being taught, thus ensuring that learning is built upon. For example, children in Key Stage 1 learn what algorithms are, which leads them to the design stage of programming in Key Stage 2, where they design, write and debug program, explaining the thinking behind their algorithms.

Our approach to the curriculum results in a fun, engaging, and high-quality computing education which also equips the children to cope with the demands of an increasingly digital world in secondary school, further education, and future workplaces. The skills we teach should enable them to have up-to-date knowledge to help them relate to what is going on around them and use technology to improve their learning as well as give them the building blocks that enable them to pursue a wide range of interests and vocations in the next stage of their lives.

The quality of children’s learning is evident in their files in the shared drive. Evidence such as this is used to feed into teachers’ future planning, and misconceptions and knowledge gaps in computing can be retaught either when teaching other curriculum areas through cross-curricular links or the following year when previous topics are revisited at a higher level. This supports varied paces of learning and ensures all pupils make good progress.